6 reasons why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the perfect card for budget travelers
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, updated regularly with new information and offers.
At TPG, we love it Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It was the first travel rewards credit card for many of us and remains one of the best cards we can’t live without.
We like that it earns flexibility Chase the ultimate bonus score And have our support If anything happens while we are traveling. It’s perfect for casual travelers who take one or two big trips a year and want the travel benefits but don’t need the extras that come with higher-end travel cards.
While many of us have upgraded Reserve Chase Sapphire® As our travel habits have evolved, the Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to be one of the top cards we recommend for beginners and anyone looking for a solid set of travel benefits.
Here’s why we consider the Sapphire Preferred the best card for the average traveler.
Low annual fee
The Chase Sapphire preferred charges an annual fee of $95, which is much more reasonable than what you would pay for a service. higher-end travel card. While the trade-off is fewer perks, most casual travelers won’t take advantage of such perks lounge access or airline fee credit enough to warrant the higher fees that come with them.
To fully offset the annual cost of the card, you’ll need to earn at least $95 in bonuses each year. TPG value Final bonus points at two cents each. With the card’s bonus categories allowing you to earn 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel spending, you’ll easily offset the annual fee by spending $200 per month for travel and/or meals.
You may be skeptical about annual fees if you’re new to credit card rewards. But when you have a strong card with manageable fees, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, it’s easy to make up the difference so you don’t actually have to pay anything out of pocket for the card each year.
Related: Why would you want to pay the $95 annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Valuable sign up bonus
New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points for a limited time after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. While spending $4,000 in just three months may sound like a daunting task for some budgets, there are plenty of ways you can do it. Meet minimum spending requirements to unlock the sign-up bonus.
According to TPG’s valuation, that sign-up bonus is worth up to $1,538 in travel bonuses. With 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points at your disposal, this card opens up a ton of redemption options.
Related: The best way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Solid income
The Chase Sapphire preferred earn Chasing the ultimate rewardSome of the most versatile spots available.
Sign-up bonuses give you a great start toward earning the points you need for your next vacation, but they’re not the only way to earn points. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on all meals and 2 points per dollar on travel purchases.
And Chase’s travel and dining portfolio is broad. Many issuers limit food purchases to standard restaurants and possibly fast food, but Chase is also included bars, breweries, college dining halls, vending machines, and even some restaurant delivery services like DoorDash and Seamless.
The The travel category is also quite generousincludes common travel purchases like hotels and airline tickets along with timeshares, campgrounds, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, travel websites Discount schedules and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and motorways as well as parking lots and garages.
Related: How to maximize your earnings with the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Great deals
In addition to flexibility in how you earn rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred also offers flexibility in how you can redeem your points.
TPG Value Chasing the ultimate reward points at 2.05 cents each because Chase has a lot valuable travel partner gives you access to all three main sections airline alliance and three different hotel brands (IHG, Marriott and Hyatt). Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to each of its partners at a ratio of 1:1 and multiples This money transfer process happens almost instantly. Transferring your points to airline partners is instrumental in flying business or first class internationally.
The Chase Ultimate Rewards program also delivers real value to the average traveler through Chase Travel℠. Most people who only travel once or twice a year won’t want to spend endless hours reviewing potential redemptions with transfer partners. And while sites like TPG can help make that process easier by guiding you through it Potential redemption options and publishing notice of agreement as our team meets them, most casual travelers will feel most comfortable booking through a portal that aggregates airline and hotel redemption offers.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem points for 1.25 cents each when Book a room through the portal for travel. This redemption rate is generally a great deal if you book an economy award ticket or a standard room rate. Another bonus when booking flights, especially through portals, is that airlines consider your cash conversion, meaning your points will also include any taxes and fees associated with your flight. And you’ll earn the same number of frequent flyer miles as a standard paid flight.
While you most likely won’t earn elite night credits when you book a hotel room through the portal, the average traveler typically doesn’t stay at the same hotel chain often enough to earn the elite status levels that exist. value. This means you won’t really lose anything by choosing to book through the portal with points instead of directly through the hotel if you happen to find a better deal through Chase.
Related: Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for maximum value
Useful travel benefits
The Chase Sapphire preferred It may not come with lounge access or hundreds of dollars in travel credits, but that doesn’t mean it lacks valuable benefits.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has some of the best travel protections of any midsize credit card on the market. You will receive $500 per entry ticket Trip delay insurance10,000 USD in Trip cancellation insurance, Baggage delay insurance and lost baggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per person. Card also comes with Primary rental car insurance — a rarity for any card — let alone a mid-tier card.
Sapphire Preferred cardholders also receive the least one year of free DashPass, normally $96 annually, with free delivery at eligible restaurants and reduced service fees on orders over $12. This benefit alone eliminates the cost of annual fees.
Finally, the card provides Benefits of Visa Signature (including access to Visa Signature special support service) And There are no foreign transaction fees.
Related: You may not know about Chase Sapphire’s priority benefits
A great brother
Most casual visitors probably don’t have one 19 credit cards in their wallet, which means the cards you have need to work. The Chase Sapphire Preferred can be easily paired with Chase Refund card to help you maximize your earning potential across spending categories — without adding hundreds of dollars in annual fees to your funds.
The Chase freedom Flex℠ And Pursue Unlimited Freedom® Technically, the cash back card earns points but doesn’t let you transfer your points or get 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel. However, you can move points you earn from either of these cards for the Chase Sapphire Preferred to Take advantage of transfer partners or increased portal acquisition rates.
Chase Freedom Flex does Rotate bonus categories quarterly earn 5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on the first qualifying $1,500 you spend each quarter you activate, while Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5% cash back (1.5 points per dollar) per dollar) on all purchases. Both cards also earn 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 3 points per dollar on dining at restaurants and pharmacies. None of the cards have annual fees.
While earning 2 points per dollar on travel and 3 points per dollar on food purchases with the Sapphire Preferred is great, it’s even better when you can Pair it with a card Earn bonus rewards for other spending categories.
Related: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Bottom line
The world of points and miles isn’t just for those who travel for work or spend all their free time on the road. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, casual travelers can earn valuable points that can be converted into flights and/or hotel stays for a well-deserved vacation. Owning the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great first step to exploring the world through award travel.
Register here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with a current offer of 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
